Asian Dan

A little piece that Mediacontender, EIKNARF, kloud and I put together on Mr. A-Trak. Enjoy!

Artwork by EIKNARF

THE ORION is now upon us. Shuttle has crafted the most epic mix to ever grace this blog. One Hour and Forty-Five Minutes of deep bass, UK 2-Step Garage, Dubstep goodness. If you listen to this all at once I applaud you. Checkout a little Q&A with Mr. Shuttle as he divulges his love of UK electronic music and why it took so long to get me this mix, 10 Months – but I must say it was well worth the wait.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Feb%202010/shuttle%20-%20orion%20mix/Shuttle%20-%20Asian%20Dan%20Presents%20The%20Orion%20Mixtape%20-%20asianmandan.com.mp3]
Download: Asian Dan Presents Shuttle “The Orion Mixtape”

Asian Dan Q&A:

1. Who is Shuttle? How would you describe your music?

Legally, I am Nathan Donmoyer from Leonardtown, Maryland, but I go by Shuttle because I try to make music that transports the listener through different places in a believable yet refreshing path.

2. What are biggest influences, musical or otherwise?

The rhythm section, drums and bass, bass and drums. The rhythm section is the most powerful ingredient, you can have the same chicken, noodles and vegetables raw to start, but with rhythm and bass you can make 1,000 thai, indian, italian, mexican, or japanese dishes. All delicious. That and all UK bass music. I love it all. Slow, fast, swung, straight, instrumental, mc’s, diva’s. I wonder if I was born in london if I would appreciate it as much…

3. This mix is anything but an Asian Dan MINImix, it is the most epic/longest mix ever to grace this blog – 34 tracks clocking in at 1 hour and 45 mins. What took so long and what was some of your inspiration for it?

Ok, to contradict my Anglophilia from above, I have to say, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND mini-mixes. It’s this BBC British phenomenon I can’t understand. Plus, I told you would do this mix in April 2009 so when I finally got around to doing it this week I thought I owed you at least 90 minutes right? Mp3 = freedom from 74 minute compact discs, why not embrace the long form?
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Shook is a Dutch producer/DJ that crafts a more musical sounding sound in the electronic/banger world. He follows suit in other electronic acts such as Kavinsky, Danger and Daft Punk by creating an alternate universe with an animated self that produces a mystique and allure, allowing his music to speak for itself. I was most impressed by his piano skills – check out the video below that won me over with his fantastic Rhodes solo. Siriusmo is a fan of his work and Shook has just finished up a remix of Emil & Friends’ “Josephine” which is waiting to be approved – so let us see what Shook has in store for us.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Feb%202010/Shook%20-%20Rise%20And%20Fall.mp3]
Shook – Rise And Fall

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Feb%202010/shook%20-%20something%20about%20you.mp3]
Shook – Something About You

1. Who is Shook? How would you describe your music?

Shook is a musical and visual outlet to escape from the world we live in today. It all began in my childhood really, when I found the glasses and I first came eye to eye with Beast. Since then nothing was like it was before. I would describe my music as electronic story telling funk.

2. What was your first musical memory?

My first musical memory is probably the constant Jazz piano playing by my father.

3. Who are your influences musical or otherwise?

I grew up listening to music ranging from Micheal Jackson and Prince to George Gerswin and Claude Debussy. Recently I have been listening to a lot of old jazz records and early 70’s funk. But, it doesn’t necessarily need to be music. It can be anything really. Like the sound of a microwave or the sounds of a skateboard. I can be influenced by art and animation too.
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In case you don’t know for NYE in LA people here go HARD. 2010 was brought in with a bang courtesy of Destructo, DJ Mehdi, A-Trak, and Boys Noize at the Hollywood Palladium. Here is a sneak peak of the epic confetti and champagne that went down. Backstage was a whole other story – full of drunken antics, hummus (courtesy of A-Trak), and fruit platters (courtesy of Boys Noize), but that is all I can say for now.

For photos check out mediacontender.com

Special thanks to the HARD team, Mediacontender.com, Destructo, EIKNARF, and Danny United for making this all happen.

HARD Fest x mediacontender.com x EIKNARF.com x Asian Dan

Here are my obligatory end of 2009 lists, a very strong and exciting year for music. Of course Phoenix, Miike Snow, Bibio, Classixx, and Joy Orbison dominate my lists. Too much good music this year hence the more than 10 tracks. Twenty-ten! Year of the tiger!

Best Albums of 2009

Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Simian Mobile Disco – Temporary Pleasure
Tiga – Ciao!
Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
Passion Pit – Manners
The xx – The xx

Best Songs of 2009

Miike Snow – Silvia
Phoenix – 1901
Late of the Pier – Blueberry
Magistrates – Heartbreak
The Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother
Simian Mobile Disco – Off The Map (feat. Jamie Lidell)
Friendly Fires – Kiss of Life
Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work
Emil & Friends – Josephine
Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Burial – Fostercare
Ali Love – Diminishing Returns
Ellie Goulding – Under the Sheets
Bibio – Lover’s Carvings
Mount Kimbie – Maybes
Bat for Lashes – Daniel
Passion Pit – The Reeling

Kings of Leon – Use Somebody *Song of the Century*

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It is the end of a decade, the first ten years of the 21st century gone in a flash. There were too many album, too many tracks, too many remixes – just too much music that has come and gone, while some have made a huge impact on music and the future of the industry. I can’t rank these albums and I know most of you won’t really agree with these so please take these with a grain of salt. Here are my personal top 20 albums of the past decade that I feel have had a lasting effect on the music industry and are close to my heart. Here’s to a new year and a new decade, Twenty-ten!

Daft Punk – Discovery
Battles – Mirrored
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Radiohead – Kid A
Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium
Sigur Ros – Ágætis Byrjun
Phoenix – United
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Jon Brion – Meaningless
Feist – Let It Die
Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future
The Rapture – Echoes
Death From Above 1979 – You’re A Woman, I’m a Machine
Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
Vincent Gallo – When
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
The Stills – Logic Will Break Your Heart
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
The Album Leaf – In a Safe Place

After the jump, what I consider to be the song of the decade – a bold choice if you will..

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Boston’s own Shuttle has been making quite big moves this year with his little band, Passion Pit but his remixes of acts such as Phoenix have been showing how versatile of a musician and producer he is. His style of dubstep is not your typical wonky basslines, but his music is sound is definitely HUGE in a good way. I could not get enough of his remix of Phoenix’s “Love Like a Sunset” and his recent remix of Body Language’s “Work This City” is quite a catchy one. I love that he included one of my favorite remixes of the year, Joy Orbison’s remix of Four Tet – a massive talent that Nate and I have talked about numerous times.

Be sure to catch him at Webster Hall 1.8.2010 with Holy Ghost! and Classixx to witness his DJing magic. What Shuttle has in store for Twenty-Ten, who knows, maybe a remix of Lady Gaga & Beyonce or a remix of P Diddy featuring Biggie or maybe even finally a mix for Asian Dan…who knows?

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/TOP/No%20Security%20(feat.%20Kelis)%20(Hot%20City%20Remix).mp3]
– Crookers ft. Kelis – “No Security (Hot City Bass Mix)
– Gucci Vump – “Sha!Shtil! (L-Vis 1990 Remix)”
– Ramadanman – “Revenue (Untold Remix)”
– Friendly Fires – “Jump in the Pool (Thin White Dukes Remix)”
– Yacht – “Psychic City (Classixx Remix)”
– The Streets – “Blinded By The Lights (Nero Remix)”
– Four Tet – “Love Cry (Joy Orbison Remix)”
– Florence and the Machine – cover of “You Got the Love”(the xx remix)
– La Roux – “In for the Kill (Skream Let’s Get Ravey Mix)”
– Udachi and Jubilee – “Smoke Rings (Luna C remix)

You are probably wondering who is this “Sam” – and why does he get to put together a list for Asian Dan. He just looks like some skinny French hipster that enjoys bangers way too much. But this is Sam, the Sam, Asian Dan intern Sam. He is more than just an intern but my eyes and ears overseas finding me fresh new music everyday. You can even think of him as the French Asian Dan, I now bestow him Asian Sam.

He had a hardtime narrowing down his favorite music of 2009 which why his list is quite robust. But I know that we both are in love with Emil & Friends’ “Josephine” and we constantly listened to it over the summer. We are both looking forward to what Emil & Friends has in store for Twenty-Ten now that he and co have signed to Cantora Records. Also check out his fav mixes especially that Breakbot “Dance on Glass Disco Mix” and the Grum Annie Mac 5 Min Minimix.

Top of 2009

Album (10):
Florence and The Machine «Lungs»
Toro Y Moi «My Touch»
The Gossip «Music For Men»
Phoenix «Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix»
Washed Out «High Times»
Letting Up Despite Great Faults «LUDGF»
The XX «XX»
La Roux «La Roux»
Passion Pit «Manners»
SomethingALaMode «SALM»

Top 15 Songs of 2009:

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202009/Emil%20&%20Friends%20-%20Josephine-1.mp3]
Emil & Friends – Josephine
Paul – Shine Sweet Freedom
Phoenix – Lisztomania
Bullion – Get Familiar
Ellie Goulding – Fighter Plan
Fake Blood – The Dozens
Siriusmo – Gummiband
Organ Morgan – Cocaine Afternoon
Fenech Soler – Lies
Two Door Cinema Club – Costume Party
Phonat – Set Me Free (Short Version)
Memory Tapes – Bicycle
80 Kidz – Miss Mars
Dusty Kid – Nemur (Wall of Guitars)
Cassius – Youth Speed Trouble Cigarettes

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We all know Hey Champ as that rock n’ roll trio from Chicago that has been making us dance for the year and a half with their single “Cold Dust Girl” so here is a what made them dance in 2009. And yes we all are still wondering when is the album coming out, Twenty-Ten is upon us so be ready for some epic dance rock. I strongly agree with all these albums/songs/remixes that they included in these lists. A personal fav track of mine “Gummiband” by Siriusmo will be making a appearance on my list as well.

Top Albums of 2009
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Royksopp – Junior
Grizzly ear – Vecktimest
Siriusmo – The Uninvited Guest (EP)
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – Lindstrom & Prins Thomas II
Javelin – Jamz & Jemz
White rabbits – It’s Frightening
MF Doom – “Unexpected Guests” (album)
Dungen – 4

Top Tracks of 2009

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/TOP/Gummiband%20.mp3]
Siriusmo – Gummiband
Phoenix – Fences
Miike Snow – Black and Blue
Yuksek – I Could Never Be A Dancer
Classixx – I’ll Get You
Juan Maclean – One Day
Mr. Oizo – Jo
Isolee – October
Fleet Foxes – Mykonos
Vega – No Reason

Checkout their top remixes after the jump.

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Bibio’s “Ambivalence Avenue” caught me off guard this past fall. I am familiar with his past work but this album is the perfect blend of introspective lo-fi electronica with beautiful guitar work. Exactly what I need in these banger times. “All The Flowers” and “Lover’s Carvings” are perfectly written pop songs that I just can’t stop listening to. “Ambivalence Avenue” is up there for album of the year for me (Check out the blog next week for all my obligatory end of the year/decade lists to see who made it, as well as a few lists from some guests)

Stephen was kind enough to answer a few questions for Asian Dan giving us all a peek into his musical mind, naming some of his favorite guitar compositions by the likes of Steve Reich and Tortoise as well as explaining his musical philosophy.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/Bibio/Bibio/Ambivalence%20Avenue/03%20All%20The%20Flowers.mp3]
Bibio – All the Flowers

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/Bibio/Bibio/Ambivalence%20Avenue/07%20Lovers’%20Carvings.mp3]
Bibio – Lover’s Carvings

Asian Dan Q&A: BIBIO

1. Who is Bibio?

Bibio is Stephen James Wilkinson from Wolverhampton, England.

2. What are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Imperfections in technology like spherical aberration in lenses, wobble on tape, distortion in valves, crackles on vinyl. Also, beautiful common occurrences in nature like flickering shadows caused by overlapping leaves wagging in a gentle breeze. The smell of damp foliage. The sound of wind through leaves and the chorus of bees, lawnmowers and blackbirds.

What was your first musical memory?

Learning ‘Silent Night’ on my brother’s old bontempi electronic organ.

3. You set the guitar in a very interesting and refreshing context. When did you pick up guitar?

I started to learn guitar chords at the age of about 11 or 12.

Who are some guitar heroes?

Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine),Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Joao Gilberto, Joe Pass.

Who are some non-guitar musicians/composers you love that inspire your playing?

Steve Reich, Boards of Canada.

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